Cure My Tragedy
by moonlitmuse
Summary: Post Twilight but Kate doesn't die. She's injured and unconscious and Tony finally admits what he's always known. Now he just has to get her to wake up, and keep her safe from Ari.
1. Chapter 1

Authors Note: As far as I'm concerned there is no Season 3 cuz what happened after Twilight was just wrong. This is my first posted fanfic so reviews would be very much appreciated. Thanks!

AN 2: The song is _Cure My Tragedy _by Cold, which is obviously where I stole the title from.

Disclaimer: It belongs to the evil bellasario productions. If it belonged to me Tony and Kate would be living happily ever after right now.

_**Cure My Tragedy**_

He hadn't been able to move, hadn't done anything to save her. The world had stopped the instant the wetness touched his face. He fell to his knees beside her, brushing the hair from her face as he stared into her eyes. She was still there. He could see it in her eyes. He could here someone yelling but it seemed part of another world. There was only him and the only women he'd ever loved. He knew that now. Hell, he'd always known it, just like he knew that she couldn't die. Not his Kate, not when she was invincible.

He'd just sit here and watch her while she slept, something he'd done a million times during the many late nights they'd shared together. Even when he hadn't slept for days he still couldn't bring himself to close his eyes when he had such a beautiful sight right in front of him. She'd kill him if she only knew, but it would still be worth it. At least his last visions would be of her. He brushed his fingers across her cheek in the barest of touches, willing her to open her eyes and make some wise crack about waking up to see his face being her bete noir.

_Remember all the times that we used to play  
You were lost and I would save you  
I don't think these feelings will ever fade  
You were born a part of me  
I was never good at hiding anything  
My thoughts break me  
Do you understand what you mean to me  
You are my faith_

_Won't you cure my tragedy  
Don't take her smile away from me  
She's broken and I'm far away  
Won't you cure my tragedy  
If you make the world a stage for me  
Then I hope that you can hear me scream  
Cure my tragedy_

Then the paramedics came and he felt someone try to pull him away, but he refused to let go of his Kate. As long as he held on she wouldn't leave him. He had to stay with her, just like she'd stayed with him. But they were pulling him back, pushing him away. He fell backwards and a paramedic slid into his place. He tried to fight, to get back to his Kate, but two people were holding him down. He finally recognized Gibbs and McGee as his captures and he started screaming, trying to make them understand, but it was no use.

Gibbs looked over at the paramedics huddled over Kate, then back to Tony. "They've got her, Tony. You've got to let them help." He finally stopped struggling and, after a moment, Gibbs nodded to McGee who slowly released him, but Gibbs still held his arm. He sat up and stared at the scene before him, but there was nothing left. He looked at Gibbs in confusion before bolting to his feet and running for the stairs. He could hear the sirens pulling out and he heard Gibbs shout something about _Memorial_ _Hospital_. He wasn't aware of anything else. All that mattered was getting to Kate. He didn't want her to think he'd abandoned her.

He wasn't quite sure how he got to his car and he didn't remember the drive to the hospital. He'd made it there only a few minutes behind the ambulance, but he'd missed her. They'd tried to stop him from entering the emergency room, but he'd pushed the guard out of the way. He could feel her and he knew she was still alive. He ran through the hallway only a few steps ahead of the security guards until he found her in a room surrounded by a team of doctors and nurses. He charged into the room, trying to get as close as he could. Three guards charged in behind him and tried to grab him, so he did what came naturally. He drew his SIG and spun around. "Get out!" he commanded in a voice that let everyone know he was not to be fucked with. The guards slowly stepped back, trying to talk him down. It was pointless. He didn't hear a word of it, turning his full attention back to the one person in his life he couldn't live without.

A moment later, Gibbs appeared and flashed his badge to the guards, telling them that in no uncertain terms to get lost, which they did grudgingly. He quietly came to stand behind Tony. "Let them work," he whispered as he slowly pulled Tony out of the room. Tony froze just outside of the doorway, refusing to put any more distance between him and Kate. After what seemed like days, the room began to quiet down. A doctor appeared in front of them, asking them to step out into the hall. Tony's eyes stayed trained on Kate and Gibbs had to nudge him further into the hall. The doctor followed them out.

"I'm Dr. Susan Foster. I assume you're here for Ms. Todd. Have either of you contacted her family yet?" The young doctor concentrated her question on Gibbs, realizing he was the more stable of the two, but it was Tony who spoke up.

"We are her family." He stated flatly, almost daring the doctor to question him.

"I understand that you are close to her, but I am not allowed to discuss her condition with anyone but her immediate family."

"What about her emergency contact?"

"Well, of course. Her emergency contact would be the first person notified in a situation like this, which is why I inquired if you'd contacted her family yet."

"I'm her contact, so tell me how she is." The doctor appears skeptical, especially when Gibbs shoots Tony an inquiring look, so he elaborates. "They wouldn't let her use her sister, remember? She needed someone in-state so I told her I'd do it. I convinced her that they never call the person anyway. Then I harassed her about the 'special privileges'' I had now." He smiles sadly at the memory before meeting the doctors eyes, silently pleading for her to confirm what he was about to say. "She'll get a real kick out of it when she wakes up."

"We're not sure of anything yet." Dr. Foster says softly after a brief pause. "Luckily, the bullet went in at an angle so that it barely nicked the left-hemisphere of her brain. However, there was a lot of bleeding. No one knows how badly her brain may be affected. She's unconscious right now. We will know a lot more when she wakes up."

"But she will wake up?" It was more of a statement than a question, but he still needed to hear the doctor say it.

The doctor slowly shakes her head, "It's impossible to know. Brain injuries are very difficult to diagnose Each case is unique, so there's no telling if or when she will wake up or how much function she will recover. She could wake up tomorrow or she could be in a permanent comatose state. At this point, it's anybody's guess. All I can tell you is that the next few days are crucial. The faster she wakes up, the better chance she has at a full recovery."

She turns to walk away, knowing she can't hold his gaze any longer. In her five years as an E.R. doc, she's never seen a look of such absolute love and devotion. By staring into his eyes it was like all she could see was the woman on the operating table. She needed to go find a dark corner to cry in, but his voice stops her.

"Can I see her?"

She takes a breath to compose herself and lets it out slowly before turning back around to face him. She knows she should make him wait until the woman is moved upstairs, but she just can't do it. Instead, she nods, "Yes, but only for a minute and only one of you."

Tony slowly walks into the room being careful not to make a sound. He stops beside her bed and looks down at his Kate. The first thing he noticed was the blood. It was all around her, but he blocked it out and refused to let his mind realize that it was Kate's blood. He blocked out the room and tried to pretend that she was sleeping. She looks so small and fragile, although she'd probably elbow him if he ever told her that. But he knew she wasn't fragile. She was a fighter. He swallowed the lump in his throat and reached out to stroke her cheek. Her angelic face was marred by the red stain on the white gauze near her temple, but she was still the most beautiful woman he'd ever seen.

He felt a tap on his shoulder. He hadn't even realized Dr. Foster had entered the room. It was obvious she felt bad for making him leave but she motioned to the door. "They're moving her upstairs now. You'll have to leave."

"Can't I go with her?" He looked right into her eyes and Dr. Foster wished she could have allowed it, but she'd broken enough rules for one day. She should have waited to verify that this man was really the emergency contact and she shouldn't have let him come in here, but she just didn't have it in her heart to deny someone that loved so much. But there was no way she could let him escort the woman upstairs.

"I'm sorry, but they have to get her cleaned up first. Then they'll take her for a CT scan to make sure we didn't miss anything. You can wait for her upstairs. I'll make sure someone alerts you when they have her settled in her room."

Tony only nodded as Dr. Foster left the room to allow him a final moment of privacy. He pressed a kiss to Kate's unwounded temple and tearfully whispered in her ear, "I'm here Kate. They're making me meet you upstairs, but I promise I'll be there waiting for you. I'm never going to leave you, Kate. I love you too much. You have to come back to me, just like I came back to you."

He slowly straightened up and took a miniscule step away from the bed. He reached for her hand, raising it to rest on his chest. "Feel that Kate?" his voice barely above a whisper, "It's all yours. It always has been, ever since the day I set foot on Air Force One." He raised her hand to his lips, placing a gossamer kiss before dropping it back to her side. With tears silently sliding down his cheeks he backed away, allowing her hand to slowly slip from his grasp. His eyes stayed glued to her face as he backed through the doorway and into the hall where Gibbs was waiting.

"Come on DiNozzo, the doc told me where we should wait. Abs, McGee, and Ducky are already up there and her family is on their way." He noted how the lost, somewhat dazed look on Tony's face, but there was nothing he could say to make this better. Instead, he nudged Tony in the direction of the elevators, knowing that the team needed to be together now more than ever.


	2. Chapter 2

They brought Kate into the room and Tony was instantly by her side again. The doctor who had accompanied her started to brief the team on her condition, but Tony didn't hear a word. There was no doubt in his mind that she'd wake up, he didn't need the doctor to tell him that. She was too strong not to. Then the doctor turned to him.

"You are her emergency contact, correct?" asked the older, balding doctor. Tony tore his eyes away from Kate to offer the doctor a brief nod. "Then I will leave it up to you to contact her family and notify them of the situation. Now, I'm afraid I must ask all of you to leave. She's stable now and she needs her rest. Visiting hours are from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. tomorrow."

"I'm not leaving her." His soft but strong declaration was almost lost in the din of shuffling bodies as the rest of the team prepared to leave. The doctor froze, already well aware of the earlier incident downstairs. It was hard enough to get a young man in love to leave his lover's side, but how do tell someone that also happens to be heavily armed and trained to use it that he can't stay? He looked to Gibbs for help but he just shook his head.

"I'm very sorry son but you don't have a choice. She needs her rest and hospital policy dictates that you cannot be here overnight. Go get some sleep and come back at 8 a.m. There's nothing you can do for her tonight."

He looked straight in the doctor's eyes. "I'm not leaving her and nothing you can do will make me. She needs me here, just like I needed her."

The doctor looks apologetically towards Gibbs. He clearly wishes things were different. "Hey doc," Gibbs pulls him aside with a possible solution. "She's a federal agent brought down by a sniper's bullet. Surely, these rules don't entirely apply to her. I'm assigning Special Agent DiNozzo as her bodyguard in case the sniper decides to try to finish the job. He needs access to her 24/7. Any restrictions could jeopardize her safety. Is that clear?"

The doctor offers a subdued smirk, obviously realizing Gibbs reasoning. "I understand completely and the hospital will do everything in it's power to ensure Special Agent Todd's safety. I'll make sure that the desk, the nurses, and the other doctors are all informed of your orders." With one last look at Tony huddled over Kate, he exits the room.

Gibbs approaches the bed, looking down at Kate's lifeless body. He swallows a lump of emotion before turning his attention to Tony. "Everything's worked out. I told them you're assigned here to protect her. Take care of her." He whispers the last sentence and turns toward the rest of the team.

Abby still had tears rolling down her cheeks, following the long streaks of mascara that ran the whole way to her chin. McGee had his arms wrapped around her. He looked on the verge of tears himself but he was obviously trying to be strong for Abby's sake. Gibbs nodded and the three left for the night, all silently praying that Kate would be awake when they got there in the morning.

Tony sat on the edge of Kate's bed with her hand clasped tightly in his. He leaned over and placed a soft kiss on her forehead. He pulls back a centimeter and whispers, "C'mon Katie, open your eyes. Tell me you love me. I'm sorry I was such a pain in the ass. It was the only way I knew to be close to you. You have to admit, we had some fun pulling pranks on Probie and getting into food fights. Even though we harassed each other I always knew I could count on you to have my back. And not just because we were partners, you know it was more than that."

"We were both trying to pretend not to feel it but I'm sick of pretending. I screwed up. I should have told you the truth a long time ago. I love you, Caitlyn Todd. Most of the wild nightsI told you aboutwere nothing but lies, at least after I met you. I wasn't a saint, but none of them were you. It didn't mean anything. It didn't feel right. I gave up because I didn't need to search for the right woman anymore. She was right in front of me. Ever since Air Force One I haven't wanted random women anymore, I've wanted you. Please wake up and tell me you want me too."

He laid down next to her, careful not to disturb her, and listened to the sound of her heartbeat for the rest of the night. All the while he was silently pleading with God to let her be alright.

_When I sit and think of the days we shared  
And the nights you covered for me  
Every little thing that I ever did  
You would stand by me  
Every time you cried it would take my wind  
My heart would break  
If I could be strong like you were for me  
You are my faith_

_Won't you cure my tragedy  
Don't take her smile away from me  
She's broken and I'm far away  
Won't you cure my tragedy  
If you make the world a stage for me  
Then I hope that you can hear me scream  
Cure my tragedy_

_I can't take this anymore  
I can't feel this anymore  
Won't you take and give her pain to me  
'Cause my whole life I made mistakes  
Can you hear me scream_

AN: I'm already working on chapter 3. Please review and let me know if i should continue. Thanks!


	3. Chapter 3

**AN:** Thanks a lot to Stephanie519 and agent-mac for the reviews! You guys are awesome! Here's chapter 3 as promised. I decided to finish it tonight, well technically its 2 a.m., because of your reviews sp thanks for the motivation. Still working on chapter 4, let me know if I should continue or not. As always, reviews, feedback, and criticism are welcomed!

**Chapter 3**

Throughout the night, Tony tried every promise and every bargain he could think of to try and make a deal with God. He promised that he'd finally grow up, give up his foolish acts, and take care of Kate forever. He begged for a chance to tell her everything, to start a life with her. Despite everything, when the suns rays began peeking through the blinds she still hadn't woken. He gave up begging and tried reasoning.

"Please God, let her be alright. I don't want to live without her, I can't. My heart couldn't take it. You can't take her away, she's too good. I'm the one who always screws up. I'm the one who does things just to be a jerk. That bullet should have hit me. The world needs Kate. She's perfect. You can't take perfection away, not when there's so little of it in the world already." His voice shakes as tears slide down his cheeks. He gazes up, to whatever lays beyond the ceiling. "If we can't be together, then let me take her place. I know she's the one that deserves heaven, but not yet. Take me, let me wait outside the gates for her. Let me watch over her and protect her forever. Please, don't take her yet." He drops his head back to the bed, barely touching Kate's, and sobs into the pillow.

An hour later, at 8 a.m., Dr. Foster stops outside the room. She'd been anxious to see if Kate showed any improvement, though the nurses had informed her nothing had changed. Still, she wanted to see for herself. She'd been blown away by Tony's devotion. His actions the day before were all over the hospital. In his eyes, she'd seen the love that every girl wishes for. Despite all of her medical knowledge that told her to be practical, she still wanted to believe that somehow that love would save Kate. Every female in the hospital was thinking of this as a modern day fairy tale. She wished with all her heart that something as simple as a kiss could wake a coma patient, but real life doesn't work like that. "Who knows," she thought as she entered the room, "Maybe love can pull someone back, just by knowing someone they love is near."

The sight that greeted her brought an instant smile to her face. Tony had fallen asleep with one arm draped over Kate's chest. They're heads were nestled together. Anyone who didn't know better would think they were both asleep in eachothers arms, just like every other night. It looked so natural, so peaceful, so perfect. In that moment, Dr. Foster knew Kate had to make it. Most people never find that one true love. It wouldn't be right for a love like that to die so young. If it did, what hope would that leave for the rest of us?

Even though she hated to wake him, she knew she needed to evaluate Kate. She cleared her throat and Tony's head immediately shot up. He had hoped it had all been a nightmare, but the sight of Kate beside him proved it had been a false hope.

"Excuse me, sir. I'm sorry to wake you, but I need to evaluate Kate. Then I'll need to take her downstairs for more testing. She should be back in her room by ten if you'd like to go home or get some breakfast." She knew it was pointless, but she had to at least suggest it. He probably hadn't eaten anything since before the shooting, but she doubted he would eat anything until somebody put it in front of him and ordered him to eat it.

"No, I'm staying with her. I'm her bodyguard, which means she never leaves my sight." He waited for her to argue with him, to tell him that he wasn't permitted in whatever area the tests were in. He was surprised when she immediately agreed.

"OK, but why don't you at least grab something to eat while I evaluate her. I promise I'll wait for you to get back before I take her anywhere, okay?

"I'm not hungry and I'm not leaving her, even for a minute. I promised her."

The fierceness of emotion in his eyes almost broke Dr. Foster's heart. It told her that he'd starve to death without even noticing if it meant never leaving Kate's side. She swallowed the lump of emotion in her throat and nodded. "Just give me a few minutes to check her vitals and her chart and we'll get going." He continued to hold Kate's hand but stepped back to give her room. It was like he needed the contact, like he was somehow holding her here on earth. If he let go, she might leave forever.

When they arrived back at the room around ten o'clock, Gibbs was waiting for them. "Any change?" Tony shakes his head. "I called her parents, they're flying down. They'll be here tonight. I'm not sure when her sister is getting here."

"ok." Tony busies himself by finger-tracing a design on Kate's hand.

Gibbs doesn't like seeing either of his agents in here. He knows what Tony is doing to himself, but he knows he can't order him to leave. He'd known almost since day one that these two would end up together. He'd worried about it until he'd realized that nothing would really change. The feelings were already there and they hadn't interfered with work too much, besides the childish bickering.

Rule 12 was necessary for two main reasons. One reason was that the extra protectiveness involved in relationships. They wouldn't think of each other as agents anymore, they'd be lovers first. That could cause them to take stupid risks to save or protect each other. It was their lover before the team.

He knew that DiNozzo would definitely have done something stupid if it meant saving Kate, even if it got him killed in the process. Kate had already shown she'd do the same thing during the plague incident. It was unavoidable, but it also meant they were great partners. Hell, he'd probably have done the same thing if it had been Abs or Kate that had been infected. They were a family and that's what families did, so there went that reason.

Reason two had to due with the aftermath of a relationship. What happens to the team when they eventually break up? The animosity between two agents who split up would be really detrimental to the team. They wouldn't work together perfectly anymore. There'd be fighting, sides would be drawn, and it wouldn't be pretty. Obviously, he didn't have to worry about that with Kate and DiNozzo. He knew they loved each other and he knew it was forever. So much for Rule 12.

He walked over to the bed and repeated what he'd said the last time his agent had been in a hospital bed. "You will not die. Do you hear me? You will not die." Then he added, to both of them, "And for when you wake up, I figured you should know that I lied. There is no Rule 12. So you and DiNozzo can live happily ever after, as long as you invite me to the wedding. Just don't let me catch you making out in the break room."

Tony glanced up, completely shocked and slightly smiling. Gibbs barks, "What? Don't look so stunned! You didn't think you two actually fooled anyone? I was so sick of seeing you two make googily eyes at each other I was plotting ways to lock you in a confined space together til you either admitted you were in love or killed each other."

Tony looks back down at Kate and they both fall silent. Finally, Gibbs pats him on the shoulder. "We'll get him, Tony. I have everyone working their asses off on it right now. And Kate will wake up. You know she's too strong to lie here forever. We'll all be back to see her tonight. I want to be here when her family arrives. You should get some sleep and probably something to eat. I'm guessing you haven't eaten since early yesterday. Don't do this to yourself. You're no good to her if you pass out from exhaustion or starvation. You have to take care of you, too. Kate would want that."

"I can't…I can't leave her."

Gibbs nods, "I know you can't. Here." He picks up a brown paper bag off the chair and tosses it to Tony, who hadn't even noticed it before. "I figured you could use some fast food. It's not great, but it's better than whatever they have here. I'll bring you some clothes later, too, and some better food. Hopefully by then I'll also have Ari's head." With that, he walks out the door to go back to hunting the one that kept getting away. The one he should have killed last year, if only he'd gone for the head instead of the heart. That bastard didn't have one. He knew better this time. Ari was going to pay. That was all he could do for Kate right now. He'd make sure Ari paid and he'd make sure it was painful.


	4. Chapter 4

**AN:** Thanks to Tate Swak, Jenna87, FireChaser, and agent-mac for the reviews. You guys rock! I'm working on chapter 5 to add early next week since I'll be computerless this weekend. As always, I'll luv ya if you review and I'll write a lot faster!

**Chapter 4**

It was 6 p.m. and Tony still hadn't moved from his spot beside Kate's bed. The team had returned, as promised, and Gibbs had brought him a change of clothes. He hadn't made any move to change yet, still afraid to leave Kate's side. He was afraid that if he looked away for a moment he might miss some sign that Kate was ok. He might miss the simplest fluttering of her eyes or some slight movement that would let him know she was there and that she was going to wake up.

He was barely aware of the people around him, all of his attention still focused on Kate. Abby sat across the bed from him. She was holding Kate's other hand and trying to will her friend to wake up. Ever few minutes, she'd glance up at Tony. She was still blown away by his fierce devotion to Kate, his refusal to leave her side for anything. She had always known they were in love, it was pretty obvious to everyone but them, but she'd never realized how consuming that love had been. She couldn't help but think that if, God forbid, Kate didn't make there was no way Tony would survive. They're hearts were too intertwined. No one could live with half a heart.

Tony didn't pay attention when the nurse came in and announced something to the occupants of the room. He didn't care what she had to say. All that mattered was Kate waking up and him never leaving her side. He had to be the first thing she saw. He had to tell her he loved her. Gibbs came up behind him and placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Tony, Kate's family is on their way. They just landed at the airport. Take a minute and go get changed."

"I'm fine." He eyes never strayed from Kate's face.

"I wasn't asking. Go. Get. Changed. Now." He waited a minute, knowing that Tony wouldn't move. He dropped his voice to a whisper and continued, closer to Tony's ear. "Her family has been through enough. They don't need to see her blood all over you."

Tony jumped back from the bed, breathing heavily, and looked down at his clothes for the first time. It was her blood and he hadn't even thought about it. He'd washed the blood off his face but he'd never thought about his clothes. He'd been too focused on Kate. Now, he was horrified. He's spent the night covered in her blood. He started sobbing and grabbed the clothes Gibbs offered him before ducking into the bathroom. He changed in record time and threw his bloodstained clothes in the garbage. He felt like he needed to burn them, to get rid of them completely but there was no time for that. He raced back to his position beside Kate with silent tears still rolling down his cheeks.

Less than half an hour later, Kate's mother, father, and sister burst into the room in a rush of noisy tears. Abby and the rest of the team stepped back to give them room, but Tony didn't even acknowledge their presence. They rushed to Kate's side. Both women were wailing at the sight of Kate so pale and fragile in the hospital bed. Her father just stared with tears shining in his eyes as he stroked his daughter's head. Finally, a few minutes later, Tony speaks.

"She'll be fine. The doctor says she just needs some rest to give her body time to recuperate." Three sets of eyes looked up at him.

"And you are?" Her father asks after clearing his throat, clearly sizing the young man up.

"Tony DiNozzo, sir. I'm her…partner."

"You're in love with her," Kate's sister states, easily recognizing the look in Tony's eyes.

"More than anything in the world. She is my world." He turns his attention back to Kate and, after a moment, her family does the same.

Half an hour later, the four of them are settled around Kate. The team had gone back to the office to continue the hunt for Ari and to allow Kate's family some privacy. The doctor had just left after updating Kate's family on her condition. Nothing had really changed. Everything hinged on how long it took her to wake up. Tony still hadn't let go of Kate's hand, but he did glance up occasionally when one of the Todd's asked him a question. They'd been talking about Kate, sharing memories and hoping that maybe they'd help her wake up.

Kate's mother, Sue, was really curious about her daughter's life at NCIS. Specifically, she was wondering why her daughter had never mentioned Tony as anything more than her partner. She decided to find out. "So how long have you and my daughter been together?"

The sudden question caused Tony to tear his attention away from Kate and meet her mother's gaze. "We aren't, yet. There was the rule at work, but it's not an issue any more. I think I've loved her since the moment I saw her, but neither one of us knew how to admit it. Then I got really sick and she risked her own life to stay with me. I wanted to tell her then but I didn't know how she'd react and I didn't want us to be separated as partners. I couldn't protect her if that happened, so I kept quiet. But it doesn't matter anymore. All that matters is her."

He looked back down at Kate and brushed his fingers across her cheek. Sue looked away for a moment. She was glad her daughter had someone who loved her so much but at the same time it was tragic how much time they'd wasted. They'd almost missed their chance. Her Katie deserved all the love and happiness in the world. She had to wake up. There was no question about it when she had this amazing love waiting for her.

After another relatively sleepless night, Tony decided he needed to try one more heart to heart with Kate. Her parents and sister had finally fallen asleep in the uncomfortable hospital chairs. This was as private as it was going to get. He leaned down next to her ear and, in barely a whisper, told Kate exactly why she had to wake up right now.

"Kate, I need you to know that I'm an idiot. I should have told you a long time ago that I love you. We could have been living a perfect life right now. I promise that when you wake up we'll have that life, complete with the dog and the white picket fence. I don't care about any of that stuff. What will make it perfect for me is spending every night with you in my arms and waking up each morning to see your face. You heard Gibbs earlier. He'll even let us stay partners, not that it really matters. I'll give up everything just to be with you, but you have to wake up first. Please, Katie, wake up for me. Come back to me." He pressed a soft kiss to the corner of her mouth and stood up.

He felt the slightest pressure on his hand and looked down. He was still holding her hand, and she'd moved it. "She squeezed my hand!" He shouted, immediately rousing everyone in the room and probably everyone in the entire hospital. Her family rushed to her side. "I'm telling you, she squeezed my hand!" For the first time in what felt like forever, Anthony DiNozzo smiled.


	5. Chapter 5

**AN: **You guys are awesome! Thanks for all the reviews! They helped me write this instead of my stupid humanities paper. If you guys want it, chapter six is on the way (as long as my profs don't decide to bury me under assignments). Please review and let me know if I should keep going with this.

**Chapter 5**

Almost instantly nurses and doctors rushed to the room. It seemed like everyone wanted to see the next scene in this amazing romance unfold before their very eyes. They all wanted to see Sleeping Beauty wake up. They wanted a reason to believe in fairy tales. Most crowded just outside the door as Dr. Foster forced Kate's family to take a step back and squeezed in next to Kate. She knew better than to ask Tony to move while she checked Kate's vitals.

Tony, wearing his trademark smile, still clutched Kate's hand in his. He was murmuring encouraging words while softly stroking her hair. He watched as Dr. Foster checked the readings on all the machines and shined a light in Kate's eyes hoping to see her pupils react. When the doctor slowly straightened, Tony tore his eyes away from Kate and turned his expectant gaze to Dr. Foster.

The doctor didn't know what to do. She knew that Special Agent DiNozzo may have imagined the entire thing, felt something just because he wanted to. Even if what he felt was real, it didn't necessarily mean anything. It could simply been a slight muscle twitch which was not uncommon in comatose patients. But she wanted to believe him. She wanted to put aside her scientific medical knowledge and go with the hopeful look in his eyes. Maybe it was real and it meant Kate was waking up, but she had no evidence to back that up. Still, she couldn't crush his hopes like that. She just couldn't bring herself to do it. Love and hope are two very powerful emotions. Together, maybe they could bring Kate back.

Now came the tricky part. How was she going to word her answer? She had to be very careful here. She couldn't lie, but she couldn't tell him it meant absolutely nothing even if he hadn't imagined it. She took a deep breath before answering the question on everyone's mind.

"Her pupils still aren't responding. However, that doesn't mean she didn't squeeze your hand. No one is quite sure what happens when a person is in a coma. It's possible that some muscle movement may be a prelude to waking up. However, there's no way to say for sure until she actually wakes up. Buzz the nurses' station as soon as it happens again. In the meantime, I'd like to order another scan for this afternoon. I'll be back to check on her later."

Tony's smile faltered, but he wouldn't give up hope. He'd felt it. He knew she was coming back. It didn't matter what the doctors said. None of them knew Kate. She'd squeezed his hand to let him know she was there, just like he'd been doing to her for the past two days. She was letting him know she heard him.

Her family continued to hover over her and Tony didn't get another chance to talk to her in private. He still never let go of her hand and kept praying that she'd squeeze it again. It was almost time for the CT scan. Tony sat beside her bed softly brushing the fingers of his free hand up and down her arm. Her mom, Sue, held Kate's other hand. Both were hoping for the tiniest twitch, but nothing had happened yet.

Finally, Tony couldn't take it anymore. Talking to Kate had worked before. He had to try it again. He didn't care that her family was listening. It wasn't like his love was a secret. Once again, he leaned down to whisper in her ear while still gently holding her hand.

"Come on Katie, you can do this. Squeeze my hand again. Let me know you're alright. Wake up for me. Wake up so we can start our lives. Together. Once you wake up you will never close your eyes again without me next to you, without me holding you in my arms. I promise. I never want to be anywhere but by your side, for the rest of my life. I want to give you everything you've ever wanted and more. You just have to wake up and I promise everything will be better than you've ever imagined. You'll make my dreams come true and I'll spend the rest of my life making sure yours do too, 'cause my only dream is to be with you."

Just like before, he places a feather-light kiss on her temple. He pulls back and waits, praying that his love is enough to bring her back. His gaze stays fixed to her face, making sure that he'll be the first thing she sees when she opens her eyes. He doesn't see Sue across the bed silently wiping the tears from her eyes. She couldn't make out every word but the few she heard were enough to let her know that her daughter was in the best hands in the world.

The movement was so slight he almost missed it. He could swear her eyes had moved just like they did when she was dreaming. He held his breath, hoping it would happen again. This time it was completely clear. She'd almost blinked. He jumped to his feet and leaned over Kate's face, totally startling her mother and the rest of her family.

"That's it! Open your eyes! C'mon Katie, you can do this. Just open your eyes. I'm here, just open your eyes!" He was frantic. This was it. He could feel it. He kept stroking her cheek, begging her to open her eyes.

Kate's family were all on their feet, alternately staring at Kate and then Tony. Sue pressed the call button and a single nurse entered. She picked up the phone and paged Dr. Foster and almost instantly half the hospital staff appeared in the doorway. Dr. Foster came running in through the crowd but came to an abrupt stop next to the nurse. Despite her medical training she had the distinct feeling that she shouldn't interfere, that she should let Tony handle it. He was the one Kate was responding to and she couldn't get in the way of that. She watched with the rest of the spectators as Kate blinked once…twice…then, finally, opened her eyes.

It was Tony. She'd known it would be him, she'd just been hoping it hadn't all been a dream. She'd had dreams like that before and always woke up disappointed that he wasn't in bed next to her. As soon as she opened her eyes she saw his amazing smile. She saw happiness, relief, and, most of all, love in his eyes. She reached up to touch his cheek.

"You're real." She said, somewhat breathlessly. She'd had to make sure. Her reward was an even bigger smile.

"And you're awake." He said it softly as if he could hardly believe it himself, like he was afraid to break the spell. "You had me scared. I thought I might have lost you on that rooftop. I thought I might have lost my chance."

"Your chance? What chance?" She too spoke in hushed tones. No one in the room moved. They barely breathed. Not like either one of them noticed anything. Every fiber of her being was focused on the man above her.

"This chance." The whispered words barely escaped his lips before they captured hers. The kiss was slow and tender but amazingly powerful. It was a promise of things to come and proof of the power of love. It was two finally admitting that they were one.

It seemed to last for hours before they finally broke apart and everyone in the room finally let out the breath none of them knew they'd been holding. Tony gently tucked Kate's hair behind her ear as they stared into each other's eyes.

"I love you." They spoke in unison, each needing to say those three little words more than anything in the world. They both smiled even wider.

It all seemed so perfect that Tony was almost afraid he might wake up. He felt whole for the first time, like everything in the world was finally right. How could it not be when Caitlyn Todd was in love with him?

"It's about time." A familiar voice reminded the pair that they weren't alone. Tony couldn't wipe the smile off his face as he turned to see his boss standing next to Dr. Foster with Abby and McGee beside him. Gibbs made no attempt to hide his smile and McGee and Abby were positively beaming.

He turned back to Kate and started to apologize for all the time they'd wasted when they could have been together and to promise her forever. He opened his mouth to speak but she held her hand to his mouth to silence him.

"Shh…I already know." She removed her hand and replaced it with her lips. He closed his eyes and let himself enjoy the one thing he'd always wanted but never thought he would get.


	6. Chapter 6

**AN:** Thanks again for all of the reviews! You ppl are amazing and you totally motivate me to write. I have so many ideas for this fic that I just can't seem to stop. I have at least a few more chapters planned. As always, please review and let me know what you think, good or bad. It'll help me finish the next chapter a lot faster!

**AN 2: ** I heard the perfect TATE song today that inspired another fic. I hope to have it up within the next week or so, depending on my class load, so keep an eye out for it!

**Chapter 6**

The doctors had cleared the room so they could examine Kate. Her family had gone to the cafeteria after Kate had assured them that everything was ok. Of course, no one had expected Tony to leave. He was even more protective now that Kate was awake. He kept resisting the urge to growl at the doctors as they continued asking stupid questions and staring at Kate like she was something to be studied.

Dr. Foster and her team of colleagues had poked and prodded Kate, probing her memory and mental ability. It felt like forever, and Kate and Tony were both ready to throw them out of the room. She was fine now! Couldn't they see that! All's she wanted to do was talk to Tony, and all he wanted was hold her in his arms. The doctors were really becoming a pain in the ass, and Kate glared at the doctor who asked the last question.

Tony had spent the entire time hovering nearby. He didn't want to risk letting her out of his sight for even a minute. She clearly felt the same way. Except for when the doctors prodded her to focus on a certain spot, Kate spent the entire time staring at Tony. He was cute and rumpled from the past few days. His hair wasn't perfectly styled and he had bags under his eyes but he was smiling. Maybe it was the love in his eyes or that she'd almost never gotten a chance with him, but she swore he looked better than she ever remembered. That was saying a lot since Tony always looked sinfully delicious.

Finally, the doctors reached their conclusion. They'd asked enough questions to safely conclude that her brain was fully functioning and she would suffer no long term effects from her injury and subsequent coma. Tony could have told them that! They stepped back to leave and he quickly reclaimed his seat on the bed. Kate scooted over so Tony could lay back. He slid his arm around her and she immediately melted into his embrace. He kissed her temple. She fit perfectly, just like he'd known she would. But all the times he'd dreamed of this very moment, minus the hospital room, he'd never come close to how it really felt to hold her in his arms. It was simply heaven.

"I never thought I'd get to feel this." She broke the silence with a look of pure contentment on her face. "I felt you and I heard you talking, but I couldn't make myself wake up. I used to dream about you and me together, but I never thought it would happen. I never thought you could love me. Then you finally said the words I always hoped you would but there was nothing I could do. I couldn't tell you how I felt. I couldn't collapse into an earth-shattering kiss. It was total joy and total torture all at the same time."

A tear slid down her cheek as she remembered the feeling of helplessness. He brushed it away with his thumb and held her even tighter. He continued stroking her cheek, wishing he could take her pain away.

"I just kept focusing on you, on your voice and your hand in mine. I was scared I wouldn't be able to wake up and I'd never get to be with you. I was kicking myself for not telling you how I felt, for not taking that chance a long time ago. I kept thinking about us and the future you were talking about and then I moved. I moved because of you."

"You have no idea what you did for me. I was completely in the dark and it felt like I was totally alone in this black world. I was so scared and so lost. It was like one minute I was on the roof with you guys and then everything went dark. I didn't know what happened or where I was. Then I heard your voice and felt your hand and I knew everything was ok. As long as you were there I knew I was safe. Then you started talking and I concentrated on filling the black with everything you were talking about. I imagined the house and the white picket fence. I imagined my life with you and I forgot about the black. I would never have made it without you."

Silent tears were streaming down both of their faces, but she was smiling. She turned her head, looked into his eyes, and enjoyed the earth-shattering kiss from her dreams. When they finally broke apart, Tony wiped the tears from her eyes.

"I meant every word of what I said. Since the moment we met on Air Force One all I've wanted is to be with you. I tried to ignore it, but no one else was you. I used to stay awake when we had to work all night just to watch you sleep. Most of the time I got slapped on the head for not paying attention it was because I was thinking about you or staring at you. You were perfect and I definitely wasn't. I never thought I had a chance."

He paused, trying to find the right words. "Life wouldn't be worth living if you weren't in it. Even when I thought I'd never have you I was still ecstatic just to be near you, just to have you in my life. I want to spend the rest of my life making sure your life is as perfect as you've made mine. I want to spend summers holding you on the porch swing and winters warming you in front of the fire. I want to run through the rain with you in springtime and walk through the park with you in the fall. I want to hold you every night and wake up with you every day. We can do anything and everything you want, as long as we do it together."

She choked back the tears that were shining in both of their eyes. "I wouldn't have it any other way." Their lips met again, this time tender and slow. There was no need to rush. They had an entire life time of kisses ahead of them and no worries in the world.


	7. Chapter 7

**AN: ** Thanks again for all the reviews! This chapter is kind of an in-between chapter that was needed to put some things in motion for our favorite couple. I already started the next chapter, which is when things get really interesting. Love it or hate it, let me know what you think! It'll help me write faster! I'll try to get the next chapter up before the weekend when I'll be abandoning my computer to watch the Steelers win the Super Bowl!

**Chapter 7**

They were still lip locked when Kate's family walked in, though neither of them noticed. Her father cleared his throat and they slowly broke apart, wearing matching smiles as they turned to face the interruption. Her mom and sister were both smiling at the touching scene before them, but her dad wasn't entirely pleased to see his little girl kissing someone even with everything that had happened.

He paused in the doorway as his wife and daughter hurried to Kate's side. After seeing that Tony wasn't going to leave Kate's bed he decided he might as well get this over with. He joined his family beside the bed and nervously cleared his throat. He wasn't sure how Kate was going to react but he knew Tony wouldn't be happy. No matter what they said, this was for her own good. He still knew what was best for his little girl.

"I was talking to the doctors about how soon you could be released." He decided it was best to ease in to the topic.

"What'd they say?" Kate visibly brightened at the thought of escaping the hospital. Tony looked almost as eager as Kate. He'd managed to capture their undivided attention.

"Well," he took a deep breath before trudging on. "They said it all depended on what kind of home care you would receive. You will need time to recover and you'll need to take it easy. It'll be better if you're in an easy, stress-free environment where people are always there to take care of you, which is why you'll be able to come home with us in three days."

The immediate refusal and anger he'd expected didn't come. Tony and Kate still were still smiling.

"That's great, Dad. I can't wait to get out of here."

"And you don't have to worry," Tony interrupted, "because I won't be letting her out of my sight. I'll be there for her 24/7. I'm sure Gibbs will let me off. I'll quit if he doesn't. It doesn't matter. I'll take care of her."

They still hadn't caught the full meaning of his words. They thought home meant here in Kate's "home". He couldn't leave his daughter here. She needed to be home, their home, where she could recuperate and he could take care of her. She needed to be with her family.

"Actually, I meant come home with us, to our home. You shouldn't be recuperating in some apartment building with lots of steps. You should be resting and relaxing back home in an actual house where you have us to wait on you. Besides, I don't think the city is the best place for relaxing. I know you and you'll probably end up trying to work to soon. It'll be much better for everyone if you just come home with us."

"No way!" Kate couldn't believe her father's reasoning. It was like he didn't trust her to stay in the city and he didn't trust Tony to take care of her. They'd never wanted her out here in the first place and they'd never approved of her job. Now he was going to try to use her injury as a reason to drag her back home and away from everything. Next he was going to tell her to quit her job. He'd say that getting shot was a sign and she should give it up before it killed her.

She was so angry she was shaking. She was too mad to put her argument into words. Luckily, after recovering from the initial shock and the slap in the face her dad had dished out, Tony didn't have the same problem.

"I can't believe this! I told you I'd take care of her! You can't drag her away from her home, from me."

"I'm doing it for her own good. I don't trust anyone but me when it comes to my little girl. She got shot and that lunatic is still on the loose. She needs to be at home, away from all that. She needs to be where I can protect her."

"I can protect her! She's completely safe with…" He's cut off by her father.

"Just like you protected her on the rooftop? Last time she was with you she ended up in that bed. She almost died! You didn't protect her then." His angry accusations silenced the room. He continued to glare at Tony, seeing his words hit their mark.

Tony's face dropped. Her father was right, he hadn't protected her. He should have done something. He should have seen Ari, should have stayed between her and the building. He should have stopped the bullet but he hadn't even tried. Maybe she would be better off at home with her parents and far away from Ari. He'd already failed her once. He couldn't risk failing her again, not like that.

She could feel Tony give up. She'd been so shocked and appalled that she hadn't jumped in to defend him. She didn't think he'd actually believe what her dad had said, but he had. She felt sick knowing the pain and torment Tony was going through in his head. She shifted to face her father head on and grabbed Tony's hand in a death grip.

"Get out." She practically growled the words. She raised her voice as she continued. "I can't believe you said that! It wasn't Tony's fault! He is the one person in the world that I know I'm safe with. I trust him more than anyone. I'm not going anywhere but home with him. Deal with it and get out!" She was talking to Tony as much as her father because he needed to hear this to.

Her father stared at her, amazed that she'd just told him to leave over a guy. A guy who stood by and watched her get shot. He couldn't believe it. It didn't make sense. There was no way in hell he was leaving. He stood in the exact same spot, crossed his arms, and glared at Tony. He could see the guilt in Tony's eyes. He'd have his daughter back home, safe and sound, in no time.

Realizing her dad wasn't going to leave, she turned to Tony. She could read the guilt and self-hatred in his gaze as he stared at a spot on the bed. It broke her heart to know it was because of her, in a roundabout way. "Hey," She whispered when he refused to meet her eyes. "None of this is your fault. You couldn't have stopped it and you know it. Besides, I'm fine now. What if you had seen the bullet and jumped in front of it? What if it had killed you? That would have hurt me way more than this little scratch. It would have killed me."

He held her gaze but still didn't look convinced, so she continued. "You're not allowed to blame yourself. You didn't do anything wrong. You're the one who made everything right. We're finally together and that's all that matters. Don't listen to what he said; he's just angry and manipulative. Listen to me instead. Don't let him bring us down."

She kissed him and felt him let everything go as he kissed her back. When the kiss ended she reached for the call button, ignoring everything but Tony. A young nurse entered and she asked to see Dr. Foster. It was important. She ignored Tony's questioning gaze as the nurse left. "You'll see." She whispered so only he could hear.

Dr. Foster entered a few minutes later. "Is anything wrong?"

"Nope," Kate grinned. "I just wanted to tell you that I'm checking out. I needed to know if I needed to come back for a check-up or anything."

"I'm not allowed to discharge you yet. You're body has been through a major trauma. At the very least we need to observe you overnight." Dr. Foster stumbled a bit over her words. She'd expected questions on how soon Kate could leave or when she could go back to work, but not this.

"You observed me the last two nights. I'm completely fine. Besides, I wasn't asking whether I could leave or not. You can't make me stay."

"She may not be able to, but I definitely can." Gibbs entered the room, saving Dr. Foster from answering since she clearly didn't know what to say. "You're staying here even if I have to post an armed guard inside your room. And it definitely won't be Tony."

"But Gibbs," She was silenced by a glare. She turned to Tony for help.

"Listen, boss, it's a little more complicated than that."

"Explain it to me." Gibbs' tone let them know nothing could possibly change his mind, but they still had to try.

Tony glanced at their audience. He'd really rather do this in private, but he couldn't leave Kate and he doubted her family would leave. He understood exactly what Kate wanted to do and why. Maybe Gibbs would understand it too. He looks to Kate for guidance to see if she wants him to answer. Her eyes shift around the room, taking in her family and the doctor, but she finally nods yes. They both look to Gibbs. Before Tony can speak, he surprises them again.

"Everybody out. I need to talk to my agents alone." He calmly waits for his orders to be obeyed. The doctor immediately excused herself and Kate's mom and sister slowly complied after shooting the three of them questioning looks. Kate's father still stood stock still and continued to glare at Tony.

"That means you." He addressed her father directly. "Now." With a few final glares her father left the room grumbling about the damn NCIS agents. He turned back to Kate and Tony. "Everyone's gone, now talk."

"It was my dad." Kate started at the same time Tony said, "They were going to take her back."

"Wait." He held up his hand. "I meant one of you talk. And I do not want to hear some high school reason. Don't tell me they hurt your feelings or said you couldn't be together or anything like that. Got it?"

They nod, share a look, and Tony continues in a subdued tone. "Her dad was saying a lot of shit about taking her away because we obviously couldn't protect her."

"Yeah, like that was the real reason." She snidely interjects.

"Even putting aside everything with her dad, he was right about protecting her. Ari is still out there and we know he has a thing for Kate. We shouldn't just be sitting around here."

"We aren't just sitting around. There's a guard on your door and we've been working our asses off to hunt him down! You're perfectly safe inside this hospital."

"No, she's not. She's easy to track down here. Ari has medical training so he knows their protocols, just like he knew our protocols before. He got into headquarters, what's to stop him from getting in here and pretending to be a doctor. He could even send someone we don't know to finish the job."

"He won't do that. He needs to be the one to get us. It's part of his game."

"That means he'll definitely be gunning for us again. Plus, she needs to rest, and she's not going to be able to if she has to worry that someone will track her down. She shouldn't have to deal with that, or her dad." Tony hadn't meant to include the last part. It just kind of slipped out. He knew he had a better shot if he stuck to Kate's safety. He might have just blown it. He looked to Kate apologetically.

"We finally get to the real reason. There is no way in hell you are going to leave this hospital unless the building catches on fire. Understood?"

Exasperated, Kate tries to get him to listen. "Gibbs, you don't understand. I can't get better here. Tony's right, it's not safe enough. I'm not safe from Ari and I'm not safe from my dad. I can't stay here." She pleaded with him, hoping he would understand.

Gibbs took a deep breath. "I actually had come here to tell you that I was setting you up in a secure location with round the clock protection for when you were released. I guess I could move it up a few days."

They were shocked that Gibbs had given in, especially since they hadn't told him anything that should have convinced him. He knew the real reason was to get away from her dad, although Ari was also a factor. Tony got suspicious.

"What happened, boss? Is everyone alright?"

Gibbs was busted. He hadn't wanted to worry them, especially Kate, any more than was necessary. But they had a right to know. "Everyone's fine, just a little shaken up. Ari took a shot at Abby through the basement windows. He missed. I've assigned McGee to keep an eye on Abby. They'll be at the safe house when you get there."

"What about you, Gibbs?" Kate knew that Gibbs would get himself killed trying to take Ari out. He wouldn't let anyone help. He already blamed himself for everything Ari had done and for allowing his team to get hurt. He wouldn't risk anyone else. It was too personal.

Gibbs paused. "Abby and McGee set up a mini command post in the basement so they could still work from a safe distance. I'll keep in touch."

It was the answer they'd both expected, but Kate still had to point out the flaws in his plan. "Shouldn't you be at the command post too? You can lead the hunt better if you actually _lead_ the team. That's the way it always works, with the _entire_ teamtogether. You shouldn't change what works."

He just shook his head. He'd already argued about it with Abs and had no desire to get into it with Kate. "We'll see. I don't want to give Ari any opportunities to find you. That includes me suddenly making daily trips to what is supposed to be a secret location."

"Are you saying he could follow you, boss? I didn't think it was possible for anyone to follow the great Jethro Gibbs, master of stealth." Tony was glad for the distance between them. He was free to shoot his mouth off without earning a slap in the head, although he was sure he'd pay for it later. Abby had called Gibbs her silver-haired fox, but he really resembled another gray animal. Like an elephant, he never forgets.

Gibbs glared at Tony but didn't bother to respond. He was just using that as an excuse and they both knew it. "I'll tell the doctor to write down anything that's important, like what you should and shouldn't be doing. I'll get everything set up for the safe house and be back to pick you up within the hour. I already had Abby and McGee pack your bags. I just have to arrange for more guards and proper transportation." As usual, he leaves without saying goodbye, leaving them to deal with her parents and count the minutes til they would be free.


	8. Chapter 8

**AN: **Thanks for all the reviews! You guys rock! Please review and let me know what you think, even if it's bad. I thrive on feedback. And the song is "Drift Off to Dream" by Travis Tritt.

**Chapter 8**

"I'm going somewhere safe." Kate spoke as soon as her family entered the room.

"What's wrong?" Her mother visibly tensed and started panicking in a typical motherly fashion. "Aren't you safe here? Is he still after you?"

"Relax." Kate smiled in an attempt to reassure her mother. Even if she was pissed at her father and wanted to get as far away as possible, she definitely didn't want to worry her mom. "It's just a precaution. It's really more like a vacation. It's just to get me away from everything. I'll be fine. I'll have Tony."

Her dad scowled when she mentioned Tony, but he remained silent. She was still hurting from his outburst. He'd always been the parent she was closer to. Mom had Erin, the perfect daughter, to do all of that mother-daughter stuff, so she'd spent most of the time with her dad. She thought he'd be happy for her when she followed her dreams and became a government agent, but he wasn't.

They'd gotten into a huge fight the day she'd told him. He'd called her a disappointment and a failure as a daughter. He said she'd never make it, that she'd run home crying within a month. He said he knew what was best for her and she should just listen to him. It turned out he wanted the same thing her mother did, a perfect, obedient daughter who would never leave.

She'd been furious. She thought he would understand but she'd been wrong. He'd never really understood her. She'd lashed out and told him she was going to prove him wrong. She was never going to come back. She told him that even though he hadn't had the guts to leave, she did. And while all he had left was his broken-down dreams she'd be living hers. She said she'd never be like him.

He'd slapped her. She hadn't been expecting that. She'd looked him in the eye one last time and walked away. Her mom had tried to patch things up between them. She still hadn't been back home but she still talked to her mom. Even though mom hadn't been happy with Kate's choices, she'd never told her she would fail. She would call and check-in to make sure Kate was ok, but she'd always thrown in a final hint that she should come home. It was because of mom that dad and her had come to an uneasy truce.

They'd come to visit her in D.C., her mother's doing, and she'd been forced to tolerate her dad. Mom did everything to try and remind them of all the good times they'd had together, but it was no use. After a few silent visits they decided to ignore the fight and at least be civil to each other, for her mother's sake. She would never trust him again and things would never be the same, but at least they could be in the same room together without scowling. They still barely spoke but her mom decided to be happy with the progress they'd made and quit pushing them. It had made life easier.

After everything that had happened, she'd been really happy to see him again. She'd come too close to death and she didn't want to leave it between them anymore. She'd let it all go. Then he'd tried to use her injury to get his way and he'd deliberately hurt Tony in the process. She couldn't forgive him for that. Ever.

She spoke to Erin and her mom. "You guys can go home now. I'm fine and there's really nothing you can do."

"But we can go with you. You'll need someone to take care of you. How else will we know if you're ok?" Her mom started trying to mother Kate again. As much as she appreciated her mom worrying and trying to take care of her, she really didn't want it.

"I'm sorry, Mom, but there's no way you can come to the safe house. There'll be plenty of agents there to protect me, and Tony and my friends will be there to take care of me. Don't worry, I'll be in the best hands." She squeezed Tony's hand and smiled at him. Even if they could go with her to the safe house, she didn't want them to. She couldn't handle her family anymore. She just wanted to be with Tony. Alone.

45 minutes later they were in the van on their way to the safe house. She'd hugged her mom and Erin goodbye and Tony had promised them he'd take good care of her. Her mom had made her promise to call as soon as they got out of the safe house so she could come and visit to check up on her little girl. She'd promised, mostly so they could finally make their escape.

She breathed a huge sigh of relief and sank further into Tony's arms. He rested his chin on her head. "Better?" He asked, although he already knew the answer. He'd felt her body relax as soon as they entered the van.

"Mmhmm." She purred, completely content, then yawned.

"You can't possibly be tired!" He chuckled and tried to sound shocked. "You slept for two days! If anyone here should be tired, it should be me."

"I'm not tired!" She turned towards Tony and tried to sound indignant, but it ended in another yawn. She tried to look serious but couldn't hide her smile. "I guess I could keep you company if you want to take a nap, though." She lifted her eyebrows suggestively and they both laughed.

"Hey, save it for the safe house!" Gibbs could barely hide his smile. Then he saw them roll their eyes in the rearview and had to smile. It was great to see his two agents, his two friends, so happy after everything that had happened. Now he just had to get Ari and everything would be perfect.

Kate snuggled back into Tony's arms. He loved this. Every moment he got to spend with her was perfect, even just riding to the safe house. He couldn't wait to get her all to himself, to fall asleep with her in his arms. He wasn't sure how long the drove but it felt like mere minutes to him. He felt Kate completely relax and heard her soft, deep breaths. He savored every moment of the ride with her asleep in his arms.

He wished it could last forever, but eventually the van came to a stop in front of a guarded wrought iron gate that was backed by some kind of heavy, black, and, he assumed, bulletproof metal. He took in the beautiful stone wall, easily 15 feet tall, and was reminded of a castle or a mansion. This definitely wasn't the kind of safe house he'd been expecting. Two guards swept under the van while another checked Gibbs' ID. The gate opened and Tony got his first look at the safe house. It was a massive three story structure, like a cross between a mansion and a fortress.

"Boss?" He whispered so as not to wake Kate.

"I'll explain inside." Gibbs, too, kept his voice low.

They came to a stop at the front door. Tony gathered the sleeping Kate in his arms and somewhat awkwardly exited the van. He followed Gibbs through the front door and down a long hallway until Gibbs finally stopped in front of a bedroom. Tony carefully carried Kate through the doorway then gently laid her down and pulled the covers over her. He placed a kiss on her forehead and, without taking his eyes off of her, slowly backed out of the room to talk to Gibbs. He stopped just outside the door so he could still see Kate and waited for Gibbs to explain.

"This is one of the most secure places on the planet. Very few people know it even exists. It was originally built in case of an invasion or an attack on America as a place where the President, his advisors, and the military leaders can safely coordinate the war. It's designed to be the last stronghold."

"How'd we get access? I doubt they'd be that worried about a couple NCIS agents to let us in on this big secret."

"Normally, you're right. This place is only used as a last resort when it's absolutely necessary for national security. We're only here because Ari is the number one threat within our borders, and it's the government's fault he's here. This base has all of the tools we need to track him down."

"Who'd you threaten?" Tony knew it couldn't have been that easy to gain access to a place like this. And he knew how Gibbs could get when it came to protecting his agents and going against the higher-ups.

"I didn't _threaten_ anybody." He should have known Tony would be smart enough to figure out the truth. "I just pointed out a few facts about how it would look if the real story of Ari got out."

"Nice one, boss." Tony grinned. No wonder every other agency hated NCIS. No one got the job done like Jethro Gibbs.

"Abby and McGee are working upstairs. I'm going to check-in with them. I'll stay here tonight and we can fill you in on everything in the morning. Now, get some sleep. You may have been too happy to notice, but you look like hell!"

Tony's laughter turned to a yawn as he watched Gibbs walk away. He entered the bedroom and closed the door. He really was exhausted, but he knew he wouldn't be able to sleep. He'd be too happy holding Kate in his arms. He kicked off his shoes and socks, then pulled his shirt over his head and tossed it to the floor. His pants joined his shirt on the floor and he took a moment to enjoy the inviting sight before him before sliding between the sheets.

He draped an arm across Kate and pulled her close to him. Their bodies fit perfectly together like two pieces of a puzzle. He relished in the moment he felt he'd been waiting for forever. He felt Kate shift beneath him. She turned towards him and opened her eyes.

"Hey, your back." Her voice was thick and sexy from sleep.

"Now you're never getting rid of me." They both smiled at the idea of forever. "Go back to sleep."

"I slept for two days."

"But it wasn't really restful. You need to sleep. Don't worry, I'm not going anywhere." He can see that her eyes are heavy and she's fighting to stay awake. He decides to try another tactic. Softly, he started to sing, practically whispering the words in her ear.

"_Let's hold hands on the porch swing under the moon_

_While the wind through the willows plays us a tune_

_We can lie on a blanket out back in the yard_

_And wish for our future on a far away star_

_And you'll feel the passion as time after time_

_I press your sweet lips to mine_

_We can dance to the radio right up 'til dawn_

'_Til you drift off to dream in my arms"_

Her eyes fluttered closed as she drifted off to dream in his arms. He lightly kissed her temple before laying his head on the pillow. He held her close and buried his head in her hair, inhaling the scent that had driven him crazy any time he was close to her. He fell asleep wrapped around the woman of his dreams. The last thought he had was that no dream could ever come close to the way he was feeling right now.


	9. Chapter 9

**AN:** Sorry this one took a little longer. I was a busy celebrating the Steelers' Super Bowl victory! Anyway, thanks to my loyal reviewers! I was totally blocked and ready to take the week off but all your reviews made me want to keep going. Its 4 a.m. so I hope it makes sense. Please review!

**Chapter 9**

Kate woke with the sun shining in her eyes and a warm body wrapped around her. She smiled, glad it hadn't all been a dream. She wished she could stay like this forever and keep the real world at bay. At least she could savor this moment, this feeling. Nothing existed outside of Tony's arms. She thought that as long as she could wake up like this every morning for eternity, her life would be completely perfect. After all the stress-filled days protecting Gibbs, the darkness of the coma, and the fight with her dad, she definitely needed this. Hell, she deserved it. This one moment of total peace made everything worth it.

He'd spent the last hour watching her sleep. He hadn't met to fall asleep in the first place. He'd wanted to cherish the feel of her in his arms and enjoy watching her sleep with the knowledge that she was finally his. But he'd felt so content, so perfect holding her in bed that he hadn't been able to fight it. He'd just slowly fallen into the best sleep he'd ever had. It was like every other night of his life he'd known something was missing. Now that she was in his arms he could completely relax at night because he knew that when he woke up reality would be even better than his dreams.

He'd watched her slowly blink awake against the sun streaming through the window. She was facing away from him and hadn't noticed him watching. He wanted so badly to kiss her good morning but he didn't want to give himself away yet. He wanted to see her reaction when she realized she was in his arms. When she almost immediately smiled, so did he. But she hadn't turn to look at him yet. He watched her looking out the window totally lost in thought as she absently stroked the arm that was wrapped around her.

Just when he couldn't resist the urge to kiss her any longer, she finally shifted in his arms. She turned to take in the image she used to dream about, a sleeping Tony in bed next to her. Instead, she was shocked to see him wide awake with a huge grin on his face. She didn't have a chance to react before his lips softly touched hers. She forgot whatever remark she was going to make and lost her self in his kiss. It really was the perfect way to start the day, and to continue the day, and to end the day. She really wanted this to be the never-ending kiss that lasted until it was time to say goodnight.

Tony pulled away before he really decided never to leave this bed, not that he wasn't already considering it. "Good morning beautiful." He smiled as he tucked a strand of her behind her ear. "How'd you sleep?"

"Great, but waking up was even better. You were still here and it was just like my dreams." She captured his lips again to show him exactly how things had gone in her dreams. This kiss wasn't a soft and slow good morning, it was deep and full of raw emotion. It was a prelude of things to come, of what they both were dying for. Tony took control and rolled them both until Kate was laying down. He slowed the pace, wanting to savor every moment. It was slow and deep, total pleasure and total torture. They'd waited so long that he almost couldn't wait but at the same time he wanted to take his time and do this right. He wanted everything to be perfect.

They were totally caught up in the kisses. Tony moved to the hollow of Kate's neck, instantly zeroing in on that perfect spot that made Kate shiver with pleasure. He slowly captured her lips again. Then a lone rational thought that he'd no longer known he was capable of entered his head. He stilled and Kate whimpered, trying to capture his lips again. She didn't know why he stopped when it had felt so right, so perfect, and she was frustrated.

They were both breathing heavily, almost in unison. Kate was worried something was wrong but when she stared up at Tony's eyes all she saw was concern. "Wait. Are you okay, after the bullet and everything? I don't want to hurt you." He was so worried that he'd almost foolishly lost his head and done something that could hurt her. It warmed her heart and gave her one more reason to love him.

"I'm fine. I'm better than fine, I'm great. Don't worry. You're not going to hurt me." She smiled up at him with complete and total trust and love shining in her eyes.

"But you're supposed to be resting. The doctor said you had to take it easy. I don't want to push you." Despite her reassuring words, he was still worried. He couldn't help it. He'd come so close to losing her and had spent the past two days worrying and praying and swearing that he'd protect her from everything bad in the world once she woke up. He was terrified of hurting her or losing her. He had to make sure.

"I feel great. I spent the night safe in your arms. I'm totally rested. I know you're going to worry no matter what, but you don't have to. I'm OK now, really. I'm not going anywhere. You'll never get rid of me."

They both smiled and he placed a gentle kiss to her lips. This time it was soft and sweet. There was no urgency behind it. They didn't need to rush, they had the rest of their lives. They slowly broke apart. Tony played with a lock of her hair. He'd always loved her hair and he'd longed to touch it. Now it was like he couldn't stop. It just seemed natural. He quickly kissed her forehead since he couldn't seem to keep his lips off of her either.

"We'll finish this later, when we're all alone in our own bed at our own place. I want to make it perfect because you deserve the fairytale. I know I'm not Prince Charming but I'll do my best, Princess."

She smiled and was amazed by how perfect her life had become in the past 24 hours. No matter what Tony said, he was definitely her Prince. She opened her mouth to tell him how amazing he was, but she was interrupted by a loud knock at the door.

"Get your hands off of each other and meet me by the front door in half an hour." Gibbs voice was slightly muffled by the door. They heard his footsteps echo down the hall and started laughing.

"He really does know everything." Tony shook his head, annoyed that Gibbs had once again known more than he should. He'd never understand how Gibbs did that and it was really starting to bug him, especially when it came to his personal life. But it was funny. Who'd have thought that Jethro Gibbs, author of Rule 12, would be okay with two of his agents fooling around in the ultimate government safe house? He definitely liked this new side of Gibbs.

"Yep. It's freaky, but it's Gibbs. Get used to it. Now, I call the shower first." She jumped from the bed before the sentence was out of her mouth, which roused Tony into action. He hadn't been expecting it so he was a second behind Kate. They raced to the adjacent bathroom. He was almost even with her. Another second and he'd be past her, but the door was closing fast. She squealed as she felt Tony brush against the back of her arm as he made his move to pass her. She flung herself through the door and slammed it shut just as he landed against it with a thud.

She was laughing hysterically from the winning side of the door. Then she heard Tony from the other side. "Laugh all you want. I still win…unless you're planning on showering without soap and walking back out here naked." She froze, and then groaned in frustration. How could she be so stupid? She opened the bathroom door just enough to stick her head out.

She put on her biggest, most innocent smile. "Tony, could you _please_ hand me my things." She tried to look sweet and undeniable but it wasn't working. He stood there holding one of her bags in his hand and smirking like he owned the world. He just shook his head in a definite no. The damsel act wasn't working, time for another tactic. "Fine, I'll just stay in here for the next half hour. Maybe you can go find your own room. I'm sure there's plenty more in a place this big."

She could see him considering his options. He knew she really would stay in there the whole time. If he went somewhere else she'd come out and get her things and they could both be ready in time. But he couldn't let her win again. He could take her stuff with him, but the retribution wouldn't be pretty. Finally, he figured out the best way to save face. He wouldn't win, but he wouldn't lose either. He crossed the room with her bag in hand.

"You're lucky I love you or I'd just take this stuff with me to a new room." He handed her the bag. "Enjoy you're shower. I'm going to go across the hall and get ready so Gibbs doesn't kill us for being late." With a quick kiss, he hurried to get his things before he was too tempted to join her. Then they'd really be late. He heard the door close behind him and the water start. He gathered up his things and left to get ready.


	10. Chapter 10

**AN: **Sorry this took so long. I got caught up with stupid classes and I couldn't seem to get this chapter right. Thanks to everyone who has reviewed so far and I promise I'll get this story moving again since I'll have spring break next week to work on it. As always, please review and let me know what you think!

**Chapter 10**

Half an hour later they walked arm in arm down the hall to meet Gibbs. They were talking in hushed voices and Gibbs could hear their laughter long before he saw them. He couldn't help but smile. It was like those two breathed life into each other. He didn't doubt that Tony would have died if Kate had, probably by doing something stupid to get himself shot after taking down Ari. He hated himself for helping keep them apart, but he planned to make up for it. No one knew what was waiting for them after they finally caught and killed that bastard.

He quickly wiped the smile off his face and tried to appear his usual, stoic self as his agents rounded the corner. "I promise to keep this quick. There are a few very excited agents upstairs who I practically had to lock away to keep them from charging in on you last night." Abby had been ready to kill him when he told them to leave the two lovebirds alone so they could rest. He knew he'd be paying for it today.

Kate brightened even more at the thought of seeing her friends. She hadn't realized how much she missed Abby and even McGee until now. She'd been a little preoccupied with the man beside her. She squeezed his arm and he winked at her, clearly reading her thoughts.

Without a word, Gibbs led them down another hall and through the first door they came too. It was a large meeting room containing an oval table, a projection screen, and a computer. He gestured for them to sit then sat down across from them. Tony laced his fingers with Kate's, still never wanting to let her go. She looked up and there eyes met, until Gibbs cleared his throat causing them to turn their attention back to the reason they were there.

"You don't need to know everything, especially you Kate. You're both here to relax in the safest place in the entire country. You can both help out upstairs if you want but your work time will be limited. I don't want either of you skipping sleep or working too hard. Got it?"

"Got it, boss." Tony answers simultaneously as Kate says "Yes, Gibbs."

"Good, then let me brief you on what we know. We know for a fact that Ari is still in the country. Every airport, train station, bus terminal, and car rental place is watching for him. His picture is on every news station in America. We know he's gone into hiding and we believe he's close. He knows we're watching for him so he can't go far and still be able to make it back to finish his mission. We know he wants NCIS dead but it's unclear if that's his only mission. He could even be creating a diversion for a large-scale al-Qaeda attack. Abby and McGee are coordinating a large volume of information from every agency and trying to sort through everything to find anything that might help us. I'm the only one that leaves here."

"Why, Gibbs?" Kate interrupts. She already knows the answer but she still has to try to convince him to stay. "If he's after all of us then you're making yourself a sitting duck."

"We need someone on the outside, someone who can act fast and hunt this bastard down."

"So stay here until we find him and we'll all go hunt him down. You'll be safe and you'll still get him." She kept trying to appeal to his rational side, but she knew it wouldn't work. She tried something else. Her voice got quiet and somber. "We can't find him without you. Please, Gibbs."

Abby had tried the same thing and Gibbs chose to give the same answer. He stood up and walked away, leaving his two worried agents behind. He knew they cared about him, and they were the closest thing to family he had. That's why he couldn't answer them. He couldn't tell them the truth about how guilty he felt or how he didn't really care if he died as long as he took Ari with him. He had to get out of here now before Abby and Kate got together and ganged up on him. He didn't think he could take that. He kept walking until he was back in the van.

As he pulled away, he couldn't help but think that he should have said goodbye. The thought had struck him while Kate was in the hospital. He never said goodbye, but he'd never really thought that one of his agents could die and he'd never get the chance. He'd lost people in combat but that was different. Even after Potchi died, it was like he knew it was always a possibility but he had fooled himself into thinking it could never happen to his team. It was proof that he'd gotten too close, that he considered them more like his friends than his agents. Of course, he sure as hell wasn't going to admit that. The gate opened and then closed behind him as he drove out of sight.

"You know he's going to get himself killed! We have to do something! He's not going to let us help him." Kate was worried, understandably, but she'd tried everything she could think of short of handcuffing Gibbs to the chair. That option was actually starting to look pretty good, except that Gibbs seemed to know everything and would probably see it coming a mile away.

The look on her face was killing him. Tony hated seeing her so upset, he just couldn't take it. Apparently Gibbs hadn't been able to either given the way he'd bolted. Slowly, it dawned on him and he started to smile.

"What are you smiling at! Gibbs could be getting taken out by a sniper right now, and you're smiling! You could at least pretend to care and try to…" Tony placed a finger to her lips.

"Shh, I have an idea." He leaned in conspiratorially and whispered softly in her ear. "I found Gibbs' one weakness. He actually cares."

"I know, that's why we're here and he's out there. That doesn't help us!"

"Yes it does, trust me. Just let me handle everything." That earned him a glare. "OK, but you have to remember that this is to save Gibbs. He's not worth it if I have to sleep on the couch." He grinned and winked at her, and she couldn't help but smile and roll her eyes.

"What exactly are you planning?" She was starting to worry. After all, this was Tony we're talking about. They were either about to get into a lot of trouble or he was about to do something stupid that would piss her off.

"Uh-uh, first you have to promise you won't get mad and I won't be sleeping on the couch."

"Fine, I promise you won't have to sleep on the couch. Now tell me what this brilliant plan of yours is."

"We're here because Gibbs wants to keep us safe. I'm going to call him and show him that he has to be here if he wants us to be safe." He really didn't want to tell her the entire plan but she looked at him with that _"you're annoying the hell out of me and I'm about to smack you" _look. "I have two ideas on how to get him back here."

"Wow, two ideas in the same morning! Guess you're done for the year." She fought the grin tugging at the corners of her mouth. She couldn't help it, it was just too easy. She'd spent the past two years covering up her feelings with sarcasm and it was a hard habit to break. Besides, she'd grown to like their constant banter. It's what made them "them." She hoped that wouldn't completely change, although know they'd get to kiss and make up afterwards.

Tony couldn't help but smile, although he did manage not to laugh. He'd walked right into that one, not that it could have been avoided. "Easy, Katie, there's no need to be jealous. Just because I doubled your yearly record in a single morning doesn't mean you have to hate me." He winked as he stood up and offered her a hand. This was so much better than their usual banter. Now, he didn't have to make some smart ass remark just to have an excuse to be close to her or talk to her. He didn't have to look for some opening that he could use to touch her for the briefest second.

She took his hand and stood up, sliding easily into his arms like it was the most natural thing in the world, which it was. He kissed the top of her head. "Tony," she murmured against his chest. "The plan."

He'd completely forgotten everything but her. She was right, they had to take care of Gibbs first. He held her a little bit tighter and hoped she wouldn't be too upset with him, but it was all he could think of. "I'm going to call him and tell him that we have a problem."

"He won't fall for that. He's Gibbs." She interrupted.

"That's why I'm going to tell him that there's a problem with you and that he needs to get back here right away. He cares too much to stay away."

"Why would I make you sleep on a couch because of that? And how will you convince him to stay once he sees everything is fine?" Kate was beyond confused. She knew that he approached things differently sometimes. It was part of what made him a great agent. Usually she could pick up on his line of thought after he started the explanation, but she really couldn't see where he was going with this.

"When he gets here I'm going to meet him out front. I'll tell him that I'm really worried about you. The doctor said you had to relax and heal but I'll say that you're totally stressed out and it's all because of him. I'll say that you're too worried about him to sleep. I'll go off on him and tell him that Abs is the same way, and that he's being a real bastard for putting you guys through this after everything that's happened. Just trust me. I'm going to deliver the most killer speech in the history of speeches and he's going to stay 'cause he won't want to hurt you, either of you. And if he doesn't I'll tackle him and handcuff him to a chair."

He was hoping the last part would get a laugh. He was really worried about her reaction. He didn't want her to feel like some kind of pawn, or that he was underestimating her or putting her down because she was a woman and women tended to be more emotional. He knew how much she hated appearing weak. He held his breath and hoped she'd be okay with it and that his plan would work. Finally, she took the tiniest step back and his heart stopped. She was going to leave him. He closed his eyes because he couldn't bear to see that hurt look in her eyes and know that he was responsible for it.

But she didn't take another step. He could feel her staring up at him and he slowly opened his eyes. She started to speak and his heart dropped. "I don't like playing this pathetic little victim who's been through too much to put up with our job. I don't want Gibbs to think I can't handle it."

"I know that you can handle it, that you can handle anything." He scrambled to let her know that he didn't think of her like that. "I didn't mean…" It was her turn to reach up and place a finger to his lips.

"Shh, I'm not mad. I just don't want Gibb to think he has to treat me like I'm glass now, if he doesn't think that already. But I understand that we have to get him to stay here, so if you think it'll work then that's what you have to do. Just make sure you get him to stay, okay?" He nodded, visibly relieved, and bent down to kiss her. It was slow and tender, a simple "thank you for understanding" kiss.

They broke apart and he hugged her to his chest, resting his chin on her head. "You are the most amazing woman in the world," he whispered. "How did I get so lucky?"

"I've been asking myself the same question." It was muffled by his chest, but he could still hear the smile in her voice. For what seemed like the millionth time, he said a silent thank you to God for sending him heaven on earth.


	11. Chapter 11

**AN: **Thanks for the reviews, you guys rock! This chapter is major TATEness, so I hope you enjoy. As always, please review! It's what I live for, lol! And I'm going to be gone a week for spring break. I'll try to find time to update, cough reviews cough, but if I don't you can expect a major update for all of my fics when I get back.

**Chapter 11**

They had to wait until nighttime to put their plan into action so they had the entire day to themselves, after their visit with Abby and McGee of course. They'd headed upstairs as soon as they'd finalized their plans. Abby had freaked out when they'd walked into the room. She'd let out a girly scream, the kind that guys would never understand, and wrapped Kate in a huge hug. They cried and jumped up and down while the Tony and McGee looked on and shared an understanding guy look that said shrug "_women_."

When Abby finally released Kate she'd grabbed Tony and whispered in his ear, "It took you long enough." He'd had to chuckle as he nodded and whispered back, "too long." Meanwhile, Kate and McGee shared a briefer hug. "It's great to have you back, Kate." McGee said with a smile after they broke apart.

Abby, with an arm wrapped around Tony, chose that moment to walk up behind them and jumped into the conversation. "Yep! Without you, who would keep Tony in line?" Tony rolled his eyes as the rest of the group laughed. He disentangled himself from Abby's hold and moved behind Kate, immediately slipping his arms around her waist and hugging her tight. It was a perfect fit, with his head resting softly on top of hers.

Kate wrapped her arms around Tony's and leaned into his embrace, smiling even brighter than before. She loved this, standing here surrounded by her friends and wrapped securely in the arms of the man she loved. She'd dreamed of moments like this but had never in a million years believed it would be possible. Even the briefest touch from Tony, even the shortest, most innocent look, made her heart flutter with love and excitement. She couldn't wipe the smile off her face, and she never wanted to.

She snapped out of her reverie and noticed Abby grinning at her. Kate blushed, knowing that she'd been busted. She glanced at McGee and saw him trying to hide his smile. If even he could see where her mind had wondered off to then she must be really transparent, but she didn't really care. She was completely and totally head-over-hills, shout it from the rooftops in love with Anthony DiNozzo, and nothing else mattered. Still smiling, she turned her attention back to the discussion at hand. Tony was filling them in on his master plan.

As he explained, she once again lost herself in the feel of his warmth around her and the soothing sound of his voice. Abby noted the dreamy, content look on Kate's face and knew she had to get her alone. She wanted every detail of the inter-office romance they'd all been waiting for. Tony finished his explanation and Abby jumped at her chance.

"This had better work Tony. You're going to have to be really convincing 'cause you know Gibbs sees everything coming a mile away. He's like a freakin' mind reader! I think you and McGee should go downstairs and figure out exactly what you're going to say." She gave McGee a little push towards the door and he shot her a confused look, but Tony understood completely.

"Fine, I get when I'm not wanted." Tony feigned sulking.

"Good," Abby replied with a smirk. "Then get out of here and leave me and Kate to our girl talk." She wiggled her eyebrows at Kate, receiving a small burst of laughter from Kate who quickly covered her mouth.

"Aww, can't I take her with me?" Tony pleaded with a pout. When Abby shook her head, he let out a disappointed sigh. "Fine! Steal the woman I love, what do I care? I suppose I'm just supposed to pine away downstairs until you two are done, right?"

Abby nodded her head in approval. "Sounds good to me. That work for you, Kate?"

"Yep, I kind of like the idea of a guy pining away for me, especially when that guy is Tony." She gave his arms a squeeze. McGee rolled his eyes and took this as his cue to leave. He wasn't a part of this conversation so he might as well wait for Tony downstairs. At least he'd escape the PDA, he thought as he walked out the door.

Tony placed a kiss on Kate's head and took a smile step back, relaxing his arms until his hands rested lightly on her hips. He spun her around to face him. He really didn't want to be away from her, but he knew she wanted to talk to Abby. He raised his hand to brush a strand of her from her face, his fingers lightly brushing her cheek. He got the heated look in his eyes that he always got when he looked at Kate, and for a moment she forgot to breathe.

She loved his eyes. She could lose herself in them forever, and they always told her exactly what he was feeling. The heated look he gave her would have instantly made her melt if she hadn't already been puddle, her permanent state since she'd woken up and laid eyes on Tony. She wet her lips and swallowed, her mouth suddenly watering at the delicious site before her. No one had ever affected her the way Tony did, and he was barely even touching her. She forgot everything around her, even that Abby was in the room. If anyone had asked she wasn't sure she could have told them her own name, let alone where she was. She was pretty sure the only word her lips were capable of forming right now was _"Tony." _

Her heart was racing and she closed her eyes as he slowly leaned down. Their lips met, hot but tender. It seemed to last forever but it wasn't long enough for Kate. He started to pull back but she followed, not wanting to lose the feel of his lips on hers. Finally they broke apart, completely breathless. Kate slowly opened her heavy lids and stared into his eyes, seeing a reflection of exactly what she was feeling. Nothing else had ever come close to the power of his kisses. Even the barest touch of his lips blew her away.

She reached out to place a hand on his chest, running her hand along the buttons of his shirt. She wanted more, and she didn't think she could last much longer without it. He was driving her crazy, and she could tell by the look in his eyes and the way he was breathing heavily that he felt the same way. Then he closed his eyes, looking almost pained, and pulled her close.

He let out a deep breath and leaned down to whisper in her ear. "You're killing me, Katie. But I can't think of a better way to go."

She snuggled deeper into his chest and smiled. "I guess that makes us even. Want to call a truce?"

His breath caught at her suggestion. _Hell yes_, he thought. Instead he whispered back, "You have no idea how much I want to. I want it more than I want my next breath, but we can't yet. You're still healing and I don't want to hurt you."

"You won't," she interrupted. "I trust you completely and I know you'd never do anything to hurt me. Besides, I feel great now. I have you."

That made him smile. He loved that he made her all better. All he wanted to do for the rest of his life was make sure she kept feeling that way, that nothing ever came close to hurting her or making her feel bad. "I always knew I was the perfect medicine." He joked before turning serious. "It's not just that, it's that you deserve perfection. I want everything to be perfect, almost as perfect as you."

Kate was moved by his words and she loved him even more, which she hadn't thought was possible. He truly was the most amazing man in the universe, and she thanked God for whatever she'd done to deserve him. "It will be perfect," she murmured against his chest. "Just because it's you."

They stayed wrapped in each other's arms in silence, simply savoring the moment. They'd both completely forgotten about Abby, who'd remained silent watching the beautiful display of love play out in front of her. She'd been unable to make out the words but she hadn't needed to, the feelings were there for everyone to see. Tears were shining in her eyes as she watched her two friends bask in total love and contentment. She wanted what they had, but she didn't think that level of love was possible for anyone but these two. What they had was special and completely unequaled in the world. She'd settle for even half their love, which would be more than enough to last a lifetime.

She felt like she was intruding but they were between her and the door and she hadn't wanted to interrupt them. Finally, Tony looked up and noticed her standing their. He smiled a bit sheepishly, a little embarrassed that they'd forgotten she was there. He would have felt worse but, truth be told, he'd do the same thing again in a heartbeat. He wouldn't trade that moment with Kate for anything in the world.

Reluctantly, he relaxed his hold on Kate. "I think I was supposed to be going." He smiled wider and Kate could hear the laughter in his voice.

"I don't want you to." Kate tightened her arms around him and snuggled back into his embrace. "I don't want you to ever go."

"That's good, because you're never getting rid of me." He hugged her tight and kissed the top of her head before relaxing his arms again. "But I think someone wanted to talk to you." He glanced up at Abby.

Kate groaned, finally remembering Abby, and promptly burst into a fit of giggles. She reluctantly pulled away from Tony and turned to face Abby, but she held Tony's arms around her waist. She tried to look apologetic but she couldn't stop smiling. "Sorry, Abs." She knew she sounded totally unconvincing and had that confirmed when Abby grinned.

"Suuuurre you are," Abby replied sarcastically and rolled her eyes.

"Hey, where'd McGee go?" Tony's gaze swept the room as he realized they'd totally forgotten about someone else, too.

"He left right before you guys poured on the PDA." Abby laughed. "You guys really are in your own little world."

"Yep," Kate replied with a grin. "And it's utopia." Tony and Abby both laughed.

"Well I need details on this utopia, so you need to leave." She wagged her finger at Tony. "'Cause you two obviously can't be in the same room together."

Tony leaned down to whisper in Kate's ear. "I'll miss you. My arms will be sad and empty without you, and my fingers will long to brush your soft skin. And you know that my lips will be counting down the minutes until they can do this again." Her breath caught as she lost herself in his words. Other than hearing him say I love you, it was the greatest thing she'd ever heard. She'd never guessed that Tony could be so eloquent, and she loved him all the more for it. He just kept amazing her. He reached up and tilted her chin towards him, softly kissing her. He pulled away before it could escalate and stepped back to remove the temptation. He had to leave now or he never would.

She stood motionless as he pulled away and wished he never had to let her go. She felt cold and lonely without his arms wrapped around her. She turned to watch him back out the door, holding his gaze until he disappeared into the hall. He felt empty when she disappeared from sight, already missing feeling her warmth in his arms. It was like he wasn't complete unless he was touching her or looking at her. He just hoped she didn't stay with Abby too long. He didn't think he could stand being without her if she was gone for long, like even an hour. Since there was nothing else to do without her, he went in search of McGee. Maybe working on the Gibbs situation would help occupy his mind enough that he wouldn't miss her as much. _Yeah right, _he thought, _who was he trying to kid?_


End file.
